Time Capsule (a McRoll in the REAL World story)
by sammy1026
Summary: Steve and Catherine work on a landscaping project and Jacob has an idea.


_Mari & Ilna-_ _If I could make days last forever_ _,_ _If words could make wishes come true_ _,_ _I'd save every day like a treasure and then_ _,_ _Again, I would spend them with you_

 _Sandy-_ _I'm no missionary and I can't wear any armor, either. I just gotta be the way I am._

 _REAL Worlders-_ _There's something about approaching universal truths with the simplicity of the acoustic guitar. I can take it anywhere and it helps me reach listeners of all ages and walks of life._

 _Today's ANs brought to you by the late, great Jim Croce._

* * *

 **Time Capsule (1/1)**

 **McGarrett Rollins Home**

 **Saturday**

 **Noon**

"Thanks again for letting me bring the kids over to go swimming," Jenna smiled gratefully at Steve and Catherine as the kids raced towards the water under Cody's watchful eye. "The heat this past week has been pretty intense."

"No need to thank us," Catherine waved her off.

"You should feel free to bring them over anytime," Steve added.

For the first time since they arrived Jenna noticed a scalloped line spray painted in orange on the grass near her feet and several picks and shovels leaning against the railing. "Are you starting a new project?"

Catherine nodded. "We're trying to decide exactly what we want to do with this flowerbed. That rosebush," she couldn't help but smile as she pointed to the flourishing plant just off edge of the deck, "is the one Nonna gave me for my birthday. It was started off the one growing in her backyard."

"It's beautiful," Jenna said sincerely.

"It was such a thoughtful gift and she even arranged to have Mary and Joan make a surprise delivery." Catherine went back to staring intently as the patch of ground in front of her. "We wanna make sure we showcase it the way it deserves." She tapped a few keys on her tablet. "We ordered these other plants to go around it."

Jenna stepped closer and looked at the screen. "Very pretty. Nice variety of colors."

"That's what we thought too," Catherine said eagerly. "Now we just need to decide what color mulch would look best."

"What do you mean?" Steve looked at her with a furrowed brow.

"I mean we need to pick a color of mulch that will look best with the roses plus the other flowers we chose," she replied.

Steve looked at her, then at the plot they had drawn out on the ground, then back at her. "There are colors of mulch?"

"Yes," Catherine chuckled. "Lots of colors. I checked with Miko at the nursery and he told me they use all natural dyes so there's no chance of harm to the plants or to Cammie."

"What colors are there?" Steve asked curiously. "I've only ever seen … you know … mulch colored mulch."

Catherine shook her head and smiled as she pulled up a color chart.

"Oh look, purple," Steve pointed excitedly.

"I'm not gonna be wearing it," Catherine smiled indulgently, "and I think purple would clash with the roses. I was thinking either charcoal gray or black."

"I like the black," Jenna offered.

"Me too," Steve agreed.

"That's my favorite too," Catherine nodded decisively. "I'll call Miko and put in an order."

* * *

 **1:00 P.M.**

"Ooops, looks like I picked a bad time to show up," Danny said as he and Grace came around the side of the house and he spotted Steve, Catherine and Jenna with picks and shovels in their hands.

"Actually your timing is perfect," Steve smirked. "Grab a shovel. Hi Gracie."

"Hi," Grace bubbled as she dropped her tote bag on the deck steps. "Kaitlin texted me that they were coming over here to go swimming and I asked Danno to bring me over. I hope that's ok."

"You can come over here anytime you want. You know that," Catherine smiled genuinely. "Just let me know when you guys are hungry and we'll throw some food on the grill."

"That's not necessary." Jenna shook her head adamantly as she turned over another shovel full of dirt. "It's way too much trouble. Plus, you're trying to get this flowerbed done."

Catherine started to speak but Jenna cut her off. "Please, let's just do pizza. My treat."

"That's not necessary," Steve said. "I'm sure we have stuff to throw on the grill and if not I can make a quick run to Foodland."

"I want to do this," Jenna insisted. "Please."

Steve and Catherine exchanged a look and after a quick non-verbal conversation they both looked at Jenna. "Okay," they agreed reluctantly.

Jenna beamed. "Thank you."

"Tell the others there are drinks in the refrigerator in the garage if they get thirsty," Steve told Grace as she headed towards the beach.

Suddenly Cody's phone, which was laying on the deck railing, buzzed with an incoming call.

Jenna looked at the screen.

"Cody!" she called out. "Jess is on the phone."

"Can you answer it, please?" he called back, currently involved in a hotly contested chicken fight with his siblings.

Jenna swiped to answer the call. "Hi, Jess. It's Jenna. Cody's in the water with the younger kids right now and can't come to the phone."

" _Oh … ok. That sounds like fun."_

Jenna looked at her children splashing happily in the water. "They seem to be having a good time. What are you up to?"

" _Not too much. My parents are going to a picnic with the people from my dad's work this afternoon so I'll probably just hang out at home."_

"You don't wanna go to the picnic?" Jenna asked.

" _No, it's gonna be mostly adults."_

Catherine, hearing Jenna's side of the conversation, said, "Invite her over here. The more the merrier."

Jenna smiled. "We're over at Steve and Catherine's. The kids are gonna swim for a while longer then we're gonna order pizza. Catherine said you should come on over."

" _Are you sure? I mean I wasn't trying to invite myself over …"_

Catherine, who had stepped close enough to Jenna to hear Jess's reply smiled and said, "We're sure," loud enough for the teen to hear.

"Great," Jess said excitedly. "I'll see you all soon."

* * *

Thirty minutes later Jess arrived and after thanking Steve and Catherine for the invitation immediately joined the other kids who were playing with Cammie in the shallow water. By about 4:30 they'd worn themselves out and started to filter up towards the house to grab a drink and rest.

Jacob stood just behind the spray painted line, Sprite in hand, and watched Steve dig. "Are you burying a time capsule, Uncle Steve?"

"No," Steve chuckled, "this hole is for a plant."

"We buried a time capsule at my school but they're not gonna dig it up for 20 years." Jacob said incredulously. "That's a long time! I'll be old by then."

Danny smiled. "Old? You'll be 27."

"I know!" Jacob placed his hands on his hips and shook his head in disbelief. "I'll probably be married and have kids."

"Oh geez," Jenna muttered. "I don't even want to think about my baby having a baby of his own."

"Welcome to my world," Danny smiled wryly.

"Aren't you excited about the idea of grandkids," Steve asked. "I thought that was something all moms look forward to."

Jenna looked at Danny and shrugged good naturedly. "He doesn't get it."

Danny smirked. "Yet."

"Hey," Kaitlyn suggested, "maybe we could make a time capsule of our own and bury it right here. Except we could dig it up in a shorter time."

"Yeah," Jacob pumped his fist. "That's the best idea ever! How long should we wait to dig it up?"

"Five years?" Dylan suggested. "That's a long time but we still wouldn't be old yet."

"I'll be at college," Grace said excitedly as Danny put his hand to his chest.

"I'll be driving," Casey squealed. "And dating."

As much as neither Jenna nor Danny wanted to think of their babies growing up and leaving home it was hard not to be caught up in the kids' enthusiasm.

"I say … what the heck … let's do it," Danny said.

"Why not?" Jenna agreed.

"Well if we're doing this we have to do it right," Cody said. "Steve, do you have a metal box we can use? Something that will hold up for five years buried in the ground?"

"I'm sure I can find something in the garage," Steve nodded.

"I'll grab some note cards and pencils from the house," Catherine said, getting into the spirit of things.

Fifteen minutes later Steve had retrieved an old metal tube from the garage that he sometimes filled with sand to weigh down the poles holding up the volleyball net and everyone was gathered on the deck.

"I'm not sure what to write," Cody said as he looked shyly at Jess.

"Just where you hope you'll be in five years. What you'll be doing. That kind of thing," she said softly.

"Can we write things we wish for other people?" Jacob asked as he flipped over his notecard and kept writing.

"Of course you can, honey," Jenna smiled.

"Good," Jacob said. He wrote for a few more minutes then hopped off his seat and approached Steve and Catherine who were sitting side by side.

"Is that okay?" he asked as he held out his index card and pointed to the last words he'd written.

Steve and Catherine read his careful scrawl.

 _I wish my aunt and uncle have a baby because they are super good with kids and they would be a good mom and dad._

"That's fine," Catherine said softly. "And very sweet."

Jacob looked at Steve uncertainly.

"It's fine, buddy," he said as he ruffled the young boy's hair.

"I'm not showing anybody else though because if you tell your wish to too many people it won't come true," Jacob said as he returned to his seat. "Is that ok, mom?"

"It's fine," Jenna smiled. As soon as Jacob showed the wish to Steve and Catherine for their approval Jenna knew exactly what it was. Jacob had become very excited at the thought they might have a baby now that they were married.

"I'm finished," Grace said excitedly as she folded her notecard.

"I hope it says you'll still be living at home with your father," Danny grinned.

"Danno," Grace sighed exasperatedly.

"I know, I know," he smiled. "I'm just teasing you."

"Hey, what's going on here? A party?" Kono asked as she and Chin made their way around the side of the house. They'd spent the morning doing a prisoner transport and decided to stop by and assure Steve everything went smoothly.

"We're making a time capsule," Casey said excitedly. "We're gonna open it in five years. You guys have to write something too."

"Cool," Kono smiled. "I'm in."

Chin took a seat beside Dylan. "Me too."

One by one each of them finished writing and placed their index card in the metal tube.

"No peeking, Commander," Catherine said as she finished writing and folded her notecard.

He waggled his eyebrows. "I'll show you mine if you show me yours."

"No deal," she laughed. "Let's drop them in on the count of three. One … two … three."

They dropped their cards in the tube and after making sure everyone's card was in Steve screwed the lid on securely. He placed the tube in a hole right in front of Nonna's rosebush and began covering the makeshift time capsule with dirt. When he was finished he turned to the assembled group. "We'll meet back here in five years and dig it up."

"It's a date," Danny nodded adamantly.

As everyone began to mill about preparing for dinner Jacob made his way to Steve's side and tugged on his hand, indicating he wanted Steve to bend over. When he did Jacob whispered something in his ear.

"This is our secret right?" Steve asked seriously.

"I promise," Jacob nodded.

Steve leaned forward and whispered something in Jacob's ear that made the young boy's face light up.

Seconds later Cammie alerted to someone at the front door and Jenna went to retrieve the pizza while Cody and Chin went to the garage for more drinks to put in the cooler.

After they finished the pizza and worked it off with a game of Frisbee on the beach everyone began preparing to go home.

"Thanks again for having us," Jenna said.

"Thank you for the pizza," Steve smiled.

"Let me grab the leftovers out of the frig for you to take home," Catherine said. "It'll save you having to cook something for the kids' lunch tomorrow."

"If anyone else wants it … " Jenna offered.

They all waved her off and Catherine headed to the kitchen followed closely by Jacob.

"Something on your mind?" Catherine asked with a smile as she retrieved the box from the refrigerator.

Jacob looked around to make sure no one else was in earshot then said in a voice barely above a whisper, "I hope my wish for you and Uncle Steve comes true."

Catherine knelt down to look directly in his eyes. "Can you keep a secret?"

Jacob nodded. "Yes. I promise."

"I do too," Catherine smiled.

Jacob wrapped his arms around Catherine's neck and hugged her tightly.

It took everything he had not to tell.

But he was seven now.

He could keep a secret.

He promised both Aunt Catherine and Uncle Steve and he took that very seriously.

As he followed Catherine out to the deck he allowed himself a small smile.

He knew one thing no one else in the whole world knew.

That when he had whispered in Uncle Steve's ear earlier that he hoped the wish came true Uncle Steve's answer had been the exact same as Aunt Catherine's.

"I do too."

 **THE END**

 **Before anyone asks if we'll still be writing the REAL World in 5 years so we can see what was written on all the cards-as my Irish grandmas both used to say-Lord willing and the creeks don't rise.**

* * *

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